You're Where I Belong
by Ellis97
Summary: It's Christmas Eve and Scooby Doo and his team of ghost hunters are preparing for the following day that awaits them. However, Flim-Flam hasn't been very bitter and nasty and he hates the holidays with a passion. Can Daphne find out what's bothering him? Includes Flim-Flam's backstory. Based on the song, You're Where I Belong by Trisha Yearwood.


It was Christmastime in Coolsville, but this was no ordinary Christmas Eve, it was the first Christmas that Scooby Doo and his team of ghost hunters spent together.

At their house, they were excited for the holidays tomorrow. They were especially glad that Fred and Velma were coming over for the holidays tomorrow. They wanted them to meet Flim-Flam so much.

Although Flim-Flam loved being part of the gang and traveling with his best buddies Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, and Scrappy, this was the particular day he felt alone in the world.

While the gang was spending the entire day decorating the house and baking cookies, Flim-Flam hated Christmas with a passion. He had been acting out of character, being a Grinch, and being rude to everybody who dared to mention the holidays.

"Flim Flam, like the Christmas cookies are ready" Shaggy called out.

"They are freshly baked and have sprinkles on them" Scrappy called.

"I don't want any cookies, I hate Christmas! It's the stupidest time of the year!" Flim-Flam yelled from his bedroom.

"Jeepers, Flim Flam sure has been pretty bitter, quiet, and nasty today and its Christmas Eve. I wonder what's bothering him." Daphne wondered. "I'd better go talk to him."

"Be careful Daph" Shaggy told her.

Daphne went up to Flim-Flam's bedroom

"Flim-Flam is something wrong?" Asked Daphne.

He heard the screams and smashing from the living room and instantly shot to his feet rushing to the room. He found Flim-Flam throwing toys and crying in his bedroom.

"Flim-Flam." Daphne moved into the living room as Flim-Flam threw a toy train.

"Flim-Flam, What's wrong?" Daphne asked reaching for him.

Flim shrugged him off and made a grab for another toy. Daphne dropped to his knees catching him. His little face was red as it could get and he was soaked with tears.

"Flim-Flam, what's wrong?" Daphne asked.

He calmed down a little bit and started to talk.

"Ever heard of any of my relatives?" He asked.

Things started getting pretty quiet.

"Of course not. It's Christmas. I hate Christmas, it's the worst day of the year. Everyone else is spending time with their stupid families while I am stuck alone and unloved" He started to cry.

"Sweetie, I didn't know you were so lonely" She told him sadly.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

"Like what?" Asked Daphne.

"Well, my names not Flim-Flam" He said with his head down.

"It's not?" She asked shocked.

"No. It's Manny. Manny Rodriguez. You've probably wondered why I was alone when we first met and why I used to be a con man. Well, it's because I'm an orphan."

Daphne knew this was gonna be pretty tearful.

"I was born in Puerto Rico. My parents were Maria and Carlos Rodriguez. My dad left home when I was 3, he told my mom that he couldn't take it. It meaning me and he was the alcoholic"

"Oh he said that?" Daphne said with her hands on her cheeks.

"Yep. So it was just my mom and me. Mama and I loved each other very much and we were very close. One day when I was 4, she bought herself a locket."

He went to his sock drawer and took out a heart shaped locket with a picture in the right side with Flim-Flam and his mother and showed it to Daphne.

Daphne started getting tears in her eyes and wiped them away.

"So anyways, one day mamma and I were driving along when, a thunderstorm occurred. It struck our car and caused it to crash. Mama was very hurt, so she was rushed to the hospital. They tried using shock pedals, but they failed. My mom died, when she died, I kept the special locket she gave me."

"Oh honey. That's horrible" Daphne said back as she put her hands on his shoulders.

"So, I was taken to live in an orphanage. The owner was very mean and cruel to me and all the other boys. Then one day, on adoption day my friends all got adopted by loving and wonderful parents. Nobody wanted me." He continued and started to cry.

"Nobody?"

"Nobody. So, before you know it, I was the only orphan left in the orphanage. I decided I wasn't gonna take it anymore, it meaning that that cruel orphanage owner. So, I ran away, became a con-man and went under the name of Flim-Flam. And since then, I was forced to wander the earth alone and con people out of their money."

"But why didn't you get a job?" Asked Daphne.

"Does it look like I'm old enough for a well paying job?" He asked rhetorically "Ever since then I've just been depressed, everything I do is for attention. That's why I steal." He took out something that he stole back in the day "I mean look at this, I stole this. What am I going to do with this?" He threw it on the ground "I just really, you know, I just miss my mother and, no one really wants or needs me, that's what makes me cry." He started crying some more.

Daphne wrapped her arms around Flim-Flam and pulled him to her chest and laid her forehead on top of his scalp.

Taken aback by his words, she couldn't believe that even in his darkest, saddest moment, that he still considered someone else's feelings like that. How she felt about all this had nothing to do with it, and yet, he chose to put her at east when it came to the topic of parents. He rose up in a time of his own need of comfort in order to comfort HER.

Tears ran down his face then, and Daphne felt a huge tug at her heartstrings, she hated to see any of her friends so sad. And yet, she was deeply moved that he was sharing all of this with her.

She hugged him tightly, placing gentle little kisses on his head while Flim-Flam cried silently, with an occasional sniffle. She stroked his hair, and he snuggled against her, appreciative.

"Flim-Flam...it's okay." She said softly. "I'm here for you. Look, honey...it's okay to miss your mother and be a little sad...but don't ever forget who's always been there for you. Scooby, Shaggy, Scrappy, and me." She said softly as she hugged him and sweetly kissed his round nose.

He considered her words, letting them sink in, before he brought his arms around her in a hug, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.

He smiled, holding her a little tighter. "...Thank you, Daphne. I feel a little better now. I've never spoken about this to anyone, to be honest."

"You haven't?"

"It never came up. And I didn't want to burden anyone with a problem they could not control, that I couldn't control, either." Flim-Flam admitted. "But I guess I did want to confide in someone. Thanks a lot for listening, Daphne."

"Hey, no problem, Flim-Flam." Daphne gave a smile, and stroked his hair again, holding him to her. "Like you told me, I'm here for you. I'm...I'm glad you told me, you know. I'm flattered."

"Since I have a home now and you guys, I don't need to steal people's money."

"Really?" She asked.

"Yes. When you think about it…I'd say that you guys are my family."

"Why?"

"Well, you took me in, you cared for me, and you were more than willing to adopt me and become my guardian. As for all of you, well here's what I think of you guys: Scooby's my uncle, Shaggy's my other uncle, Scrappy's my little brother, and you are my big sister."

"You're not gonna make me use the L word are you?" She asked as she gave a suspicious look, crossed her arms, and pursed her lips.

"We'll I uh-" He said nervously in shame.

"Well then, I was gonna use it anyways. I love you baby brother." She said and kissed his nose.

"I love you too Daphne." She said back "You're my big sister, my hero, and my best friend"

She kissed him on the cheek and they embraced once again.

"Ready to come downstairs and eat?" She asked.

"No thanks. I'm kinda tired and sleepy."

"Merry Christmas Flim-Flam" She said softly to him and blew him a kiss.

"Merry Christmas Daphne" He said back and he returned the kiss.

"Hey is Flim-Flam okay? I was worried about him." Asked Scrappy.

"He's okay. He and I just needed to have a little talk about family." She said back.

"Family?" Scooby asked.

"Yeah, it's personal, just between me and him. We shouldn't talk about it" Daphne told her Great Dane.

The gang all went to their bedrooms for sleep.

Daphne got out of her room dressed in a silky light pink nightgown and went to Flim-Flam's room.

There, she saw him sleeping tightly. He looked so peaceful and cute when sleeping. She looked at her sweet baby brother and kissed his forehead.

She went into his bed and snuggled next to him. He felt so warm and snug like a teddy bear.

"Sweet dreams my prince and Merry Christmas. I love you" she said and she kissed his forehead again and fell soundly asleep while snuggling onto him like a teddy bear.

Flim-Flam was finally out of depression because he learned the true meaning of the word "family" and that his mother was watching him from heaven.

They really were a family after all.

**Author's Note: You really feel bad for the little guy. Don't you? Well, read and review.**


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